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Encore Multimedia President Works with Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

“A life changing experience.” That’s How Dean Waskowiak, founder and president of Encore Multimedia describes a missionary trip to Lebanon he recently returned from. The trip was with WorldVision, an international Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with communities around the world to assist people who are suffering from wars, famines, natural disasters, etc.

“I’m a Christian and that motivates everything I do,” says Waskowiak. He adds, “I find myself drawn to people that are in difficult situations and wanting to help them. My wife and I have supported WorldVision since 1980 and their efforts to provide food, water assistance, emergency supplies, health care services, education and child protection to children and families.” According to the WorldVision website, they have helped more than 2.37 million refugees from around the world just since 2011.

“I was not afraid to travel to a dangerous place. We had security with us at all times. We were there to minister to the needs of the refugees and when you’re doing God’s work you have no fear, he is always watching over you,” says Waskowiak.

WorldVision has a Syrian Crisis Response team that provides aid to people in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and Syria and the team has reached about 1.1 million people including more than 630,000 children. “We were in Lebanon to learn, first hand, about the Syrian refugee crisis and reach out to care for these suffering people. WorldVision comes in and first helps people get to a safe place, then provides food, water and shelter. Education and economic development come later and eventually WorldVision pulls away and it’s a self-sustaining community,” says Waskowiak.

Dean Waskowiak was the only Longview resident to take part in the trip along with others from Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma and elsewhere in Texas. The trip was by invitation from WorldVision.